Stelliferous
by Angel Descendant
Summary: Fate/SN AU where the Tenth generation are servants in a bloody Holy Grail War. Of course only one will survive. Gen. First chapter: Rider.


_Note: Stelliferous- filled with stars; starry  
_

 _So obvs instead of finishing my passion project I do this. I've been meaning to, for awhile now (and an Akatsuki no Yona-verse but meh I'm saving that up for another fandom) after catching up with Fate/Apocrypha. Updated weekly._

* * *

 _ **II.**_ **Rider**

"You're late," said the Ninth, making Iemitsu flinch and nearly drop the plank he lifted to open the door. He stole a nervous glance at his watch.

"Uh, only two hours late though. I told you I have a date with my beautiful wife today~"

"I also warned you that if you didn't arrive on time, you wouldn't get a good catalyst!" the Ninth exclaimed, now panting heavily as he tried to control himself from heaving the entire service table at Iemitsu's direction.

"Calm down old man, geez. It's not my fault you called me the last minute to participate when my day's fully booked. And weren't you supposed to retire? I mean, I haven't stepped on this place for ten years and you're still the boss…"

"Just take the damn catalyst!" Iemitsu yelled in pain as something sharp bounces of his head and drew blood. "This is absurd. You've degraded this much after settling down."

Iemitsu grinned after picking up the horn. It fitted neatly to his palm. "You should try retiring too. You're still as uptight as ever." He patted the catalyst in his pocket and raised a hand lazily as goodbye while he made his way to carry the plank again.

"Wait." Iemitsu paused at this. "We're counting on you to win, _Carnefice_."

"I wouldn't have bothered to finish my date quickly if I don't. _Ciao, Capo-jii_."

 **-X-**

"Whoever heroic spirit we get, I hope it's a girl~" Iemitsu said, sketching the final symbol on the ground. He then took out the horn and placed it in the middle of their incantation circle.

His companion, a navy-haired woman in her mid-twenties, clicked her tongue in disapproval. "Pretty sure you're the last one to summon a servant. I've done the background checks you wanted on our fellow masters."

"I'll look at the files later. Thanks as usual, Lal-chi~"

"You're a creepy old man now…" she muttered before Iemitsu said the magic words and a blinding blaze engulfs the barren plateau they engaged themselves in.

Iemitsu wore his sunglasses throughout however. He wanted to see how his servant will come forth.

His right brow cocked ever so slightly when he did make eye contact with his servant. He motioned Lal to come closer.

" _Yare yare_ ," an unmistakably male voice called out through the flurry of pink smoke. This made Iemitsu scowl. "I got a man to be my master. This will be a pain…"

"Don't say anything, Lal," Iemitsu raises his hand before he sputtered potential invectives. "What is your name, servant?" he cocked his head at this man with a head full of curls, small bull horns protruding from his head. He cringed at the cow-patterned polo that barely tried even hiding his chest and that kitsche tribal necklace.

"I'm Lambo," he closed one eye. "And honestly, I'm a bit peckish."

By this Iemitsu grinned at Lal. "At least that's something we can agree on!"

 **-X-**

His wife wasn't too happy to be woken up at three in the morning to make breakfast. She requested that Lal, Iemitsu's subordinate, to make herself at home as Iemitsu introduces their new couch surfer.

"He'll be staying with us for awhile, Nana-chan. His parents, my long-lost childhood friends asked this of me as they go to new worlds unknown. You do understand my dilemma, right Nana-chan?"

"Sure this is not like last time when you mistook a teenager as our son? You used the same excuse…"

"What are you talking about Nana-chan? How can I ever lie to you?"

"My, what's your name dear?" his wife said, ignoring his platitudes completely and stroking a dumbstruck Lambo. "Did that scawwy bearded man scare you?"

"Uhm, call me _Fantino,_ " Lambo hesitated, all the more as Nana led him at the kitchen and began to do her magic. He was sure his wife had no idea about the Holy Grail War and his line of work.

"I'm sorry for my husband, Fanti-kun. I'll contact the police station after breakfast to take you home-"

" _Signorina_ , Iemitsu was telling the truth. I apologize in advance, for taking your space," he bowed.

"Aren't you a polite little one," said Nana as she squeezed his right cheek, ruffling him again as she continued taking out eggs and meat. "Are you sure Iemitsu's not forcing you? My husband does this every year whenever we visit. Even when most of the kids don't look like our son at all…" A shadow crossed her face but then she lighted up again. If Lambo was an ordinary human, he would miss it. "If you will stay, there's an extra bed upstairs. Make yourself at home."

There it was again, that shitty flaw of his. He made his way to cut the fruit.

 **-X-**

"We'll be leaving this afternoon, Lambo-kun," Iemitsu boomed as he opened his suitcase and began putting an array of semiautomatic rifles, snipes, smoke screens, grenades, rocket launchers, and other military weapons that he wasn't too sure will be effective enough for the kinds of battles ahead. "How was my wife's cooking? Isn't it the best?"

"…Can we really defeat other masters with this?"

"Don't you worry your pretty little head," Iemitsu said, ruffling his hair to his annoyance. "You just fight your fellow cute servants and I'll take care of the rest."

Lambo looked at the meadow outside. Lal was making conversation with Nana, who was too busy taking a picture of a butterfly on a peony and was then pointing it to the other woman quite excitedly.

"It doesn't make sense. You're happy here," said Lambo, folding his arms. He stood up and made his way closer to the window. "Will that wish you'll be making… for that son of yours?"

"Oh, did Nana-chan tell you? Such a worrywart," Iemitsu said heavily. "I don't really have any notable wishes. I only joined because the _capo_ insisted."

Lambo closed one eye. "I figured. This world you're protecting is warm and kind."

"Hahaha, we get by," his master grinned. "What about you, Lambo-kun? What do you wish for?"

"It's not really that noteworthy either," Lambo turned his head and made his way out the door. "I'll be taking a kip."

On the contrary, he did not like the thought of Iemitsu seeing him red.

 **-X-**

"I've prepared food for everyone. I'll be asking you to take feed them in my stead, Fanti-kun," Nana smiled as she handed the eco bag to Lambo, who could only nod as his knees buckled at its surprising weight.

"I'll do my best, _Signorina_ ," Lambo went on his knees again to kiss her hand, making the grown woman squeal in delight.

"You're so cute!" She pinched his cheeks again, to his annoyance before patting his head. "Make sure you come back, ok? I'll be preparing my special Salisbury steak!"

"Eh, but I prefer your sukiyaki dear!" Iemitsu complained.

"We've always been eating sukiyaki whenever you come back from work!" Nana pouted. "I haven't made those in awhile since you-know-what!"

" _Fine._ Just kiss me already."

Lal covered Lambo's eyes to his annoyance. He snogged a ton of girls in his past life. By the time she released him from her iron grip, Iemitsu was tenderly embracing his wife. Her eyes were wide. This must be the first time he gave this kind of farewell.

"I'll see you soon, Nana-chan." His voice was as gentle as the last hug he gave her. Nana could only smile as she waved. Lambo looked at her with downcast eyes before getting into the taxi.

 **-X-**

Iemitsu did not say a word throughout the entire flight. He kept looking at his wallet, at a picture of his younger wife, and someone else.

Lal sat two rows by the aisle in case another grail participant coincidentally came to intercept. He was also asked by his master to not materialize and draw suspicion. This character change was something the servant did not prepare for.

 _Are you getting cold feet now, Rider?_ Iemitsu asked, almost teasingly.

 _No. You've been acting different. I didn't expect my master to be so calculative…_ Lambo replied, feeling shameful again. _I apologize for lacking the decency and underestimating you._

 _Naww, quit it._ He laughed. _I like taking my work seriously so I can go home ASAP, that's all._

Lambo hummed. _Your wife is so kind. And the bed was… so soft._

 _I know. I have the best wife ever! I don't know so much about the bed though._

 _I apologize. It just feels so strange. To sleep in a bed. To know that people like you exist. In my past life, there weren't any._

 **-X-**

"Rider," called Iemitsu as he stubbed the last of his cigarettes. "How's your steed? About time we crashed the party. The war's already started without us, can you believe that?"

"You always did like arriving late," Lambo whistled on his end, letting the lightning flow from the ground to unearth his long-gone companion. "Gyuudon," he murmured as a chariot materializes. He kicked it carefully, letting it emit quick sparks.

"See? Even this brat knows what a bad soldier you are, _Carnefice_ ," Lal scoffed through her speaker.

"You shitty assholes ganging up on me now, eh?" roared his master. He seizes his large sniper rifle and made his way to spot the shitheads he needed to take out. "I'm getting heat signatures three hundred yards northeast."

"Copy. Nothing detected here so far."

Iemitsu yanked the trigger, but not before a bullet missed him by inches and destroyed the wall behind him.

"Sounds like you missed," Lal noted dryly on the other end.

"Looks like your student _did_ join," Iemitsu sighed as he rolled away, now retreating back downstairs, blocking the back of his head as he skidded down, rifle strapped on his back as crackling glass continued raining down on him once his face catches moonlight. "Jesus Christ, if it wasn't for the recoil I would be a goner."

"He was my best student," said Lal as gunshots showered from her end. "I think I injured a son of a bitch." A pause.

"I'm seeing a battle happening down, not too far from you, Lal-san," said Lambo. "I think you shot a master."

"That master's weak sauce if he did get shot," Lal said coolly. "What does he look like?"

"Ehm blond, feral-looking… Ah, I think he's dead." Lambo stopped, bracing his lightning harness before squinting again. "No servants disappearing though."

"Must be a special summon. What else do you see? Lambo?" Lal's eyes widened for a moment before she disassembled her sniper and took out two semiautomatics. "Iemitsu, he's not picking up."

"He'll be fine. I put a command seal on him to return back two meeting point anytime he doesn't reply after two minutes. Your ex-lover is one persistent son of a bitch. I can't shake him off. Get him for me, won't you? Or is the power of love still pervasive as ever?"

"I can taste the vomit from my throat," Lal said as she ran her way past the long lines of container vans, taking cover whenever necessary. "How far do you think he is from your position?"

"Hmm… about fifty feet I think. Oops, I think his servant's here. I'll try holding him off while you finish the job. Don't fail this time, ok?"

"The last time was a fluke," Lal huffed as she finally saw a sillhoute of a man just a couple of feet away, his back turned. She smiled to herself as she locked onto her target and began to fire.

"Shit!" the man yelped as he jumped away and skidded down on a makeshift ramp of rust and metal. "Lal, you bitch! I'll definitely make you pay!"

"Likewise, you cute bastard," she began running to his direction, both weapons at the ready. "Ya think I'll forget the time you slept with Luche?"

"That was a misunderstanding! You still hate me for that?" he called out as he took refuge behind a green container van when she rained hell on him. "You already know her heart belonged to someone else."

"That's not the main reason why I broke up with you, ya conniving piece of shite," Lal spat out as the blond-haired man also flanked her with bullets. "You just have to join the Grail War, don't you Colonnello?"

"I wanted my wish granted, hey! You want to know what it is?"

"Yeah?" Lal said, just as his head pops out and she begins shooting again.

"You betrayed me again!" he protested. "But I'll tell you my wish anyway. It's-"

Colonnello did not get to finish his sentence just the place where he was exploded and shook with indescribable light. Lal only froze as the light disappeared and she made her way to where he should be, mouth about to utter his name until she caught sight of a familiar figure.

Lambo's right eye was closed as he adjusted his left horn. His beast nuzzled up to her, to which she precariously patted. "Sorry for being late, Lal-san. Caster gave me a hard time. Where's master?"

Lal stared at the charred remains of her opponent before looking back at Lambo, her expression unreadable. "Let's ride that chariot of yours. I'll guide you there." She climbed inside, eyes refusing to stare at the dead anymore.

Its blackened left hand bore a diamond ring.

 **-X-**

"Who killed him?" Iemitsu asked weakly as Lal held his bruised body onto her lap. He coughed rather dramatically, making his subordinate smack him on the head because he was trying his best to piss her off and it wasn't working.

"The stupid cow," she snorted to hide a stifled sob. She shuddered a little. She already covered Iemitsu with her coat, leaving her with her army tank top against the heavy wind and the occasional low clouds. "You could've just hid yourself instead of going toe-to-toe with that damn Berserker…"

"I'm still alive!" Iemitsu scowled. "Women are such worrywarts."

"And men just like to stereotype women who save their necks," Lal snapped. "Nana-san will kill me if she finds out you're doing reckless shit again. It won't be long now though. The hospital's just a few minutes more, in this steed anyway."

"I did have to buy time," Iemitsu said, raising himself up and pulling her into an arm hug, to which Lal closed her vapid eyes for gratefully as she dreamed of another reality again. "How's my servant? You did well today, Rider! Let's go celebrate with tons of booze later!"

"I'm too young to drink in this body," Lambo complained. "And you shouldn't move yourself too much. Your ribs are fractured."

"I'm lucky to have lackeys like you, don't I?" grinned Iemitsu.

"I thought you were going to say family," Lambo moaned.

"Wouldn't your bratty self think that's lame?" his master jerked up, nose getting wider and wider as he looked on smugly.

"Hey, it's true! Makes me you know, wish that it will be for real," Lambo said, cheeks flushing scarlet. He turned his head so they wouldn't notice.

"Hmm, I'll wish for an uber large special party to celebrate it then!" Iemitsu sang out, to which Lambo hung his head.

"You dad-baka…" Lambo trailed off, looking out front, his serene expression changing into surging fear as orange flames nearly engulfed them until he steered them out of the way, nearly making his passengers fly off. Gyuudon, his bull, did not emerge unscathed however. The flames wouldn't stop burning. On his left side. "Fucking sky flames," he said with gnashing teeth as he then began to retreat.

"No fucking way," Lal murmured in shock as she grabbed a pistol from her holster.

"That won't work, Lal-chan," Iemitsu said quietly, his head turned at the dot nested in bright orange flames that only got bigger and bigger. "Rider, he'll be gaining on us soon. "We have to lose him in the woods."

"Jesus Christ, it's obviously a fucking trap," Lal hissed, tightly holding onto Iemitsu's arm despite his cries of protest. "He must have his master waiting on us below."

"At least there's cover down," said Iemitsu. "We have to make an alternate route back to the hotel to dress my wounds. I have to call that damn Shamal." He turns at Lambo, whose wary eyes patiently waited for his own. "Make the biggest ball of lightning flames you can to temporarily blind that bastard. After that, we'll drink that favorite grape juice of yours. Deal?"

"We'll get through this," said Lambo.

"We'll get through this," smiled Iemitsu.

That was all Lambo needed to call out his Noble Phantasm and flood the place in white.

 **-X-**

"This fucking sucks," sighed Iemitsu. "So this is it?"

Lal was a broken doll underneath him, shattering under his weight and the sheer drop from Lambo's disappeared chariot. Her blood mingled with his own. He tries to move himself properly but could only cry out sharply as his eyes turn on the culprit instead.

"Yes," the brown-haired servant nodded, its cold orange eyes a sharp contrast from the blazing sky flames in his hands. "You are going to die."

Iemitsu grinned. "Make it snappy, son."

He meant the last word. His son would be the same age as this servant if he did not run that day.

 _Running and running._ And that scream. That bone-crushing, harrowing, unforgettable sound.

His only real wish was for it to stop.

* * *

 _Fantino=Rider, if it wasn't too obvious_

 _Next chapter: Caster_


End file.
